Machine-gun



A. C. HARPER.

MACHINE GUN. APPLICATION FILED SEPT.20, 1920.

I Patented Feb. 22, 1921.

iJNiT-QEB STA'EEZS rarest ent ce;

ANGELO C. HARPER, 0F WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OLE COLUMBIA.

MACHINE-GUN.

Laeaaae.

Application filed September 20, 1920. Serial No. 411,510.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANenLo C. HARPER, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Machine-Guns, of which the following is a specification. V

This invention relates to improvements in fire arms of the rapid-firetype, and particularly to the provision of a rapid-firing gun of the design which hasbecome commonly known in this art-as a machine gun, for discharging in rapid succession bullets of rifle caliber therefrom, the principal object of the invention being to provide a machine gun or" exceedingly simple and practicable construction, capable of being continuously operated atits maximum speed without liability of jamming or otherwise being renderedinoperative by prolonged or rough field usage.

It is also an object of my .invention to provide agun of the character mentioned employing a novel form of breech and firing mechanism, adapted to retain the cartridges used in connection with the gun in positions such as will permit the discharge of the projectiles into and from the gun barrel under full influence of the liberated gases given oii by the explosions, in rapid succession, of such cartridges, such explosion of the cartridges being automatically eii'ected by the firing mechanism which in turn is operated by the rotary movement of the gun magazine and breech mechanism as the tubes of the latter are brought, in rapid sequence, into 7 alinement with the barrel.

Other objects of this invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In order that the invention and its mode of application may be readily understood by persons skilled in the art, I have in the accompanying illustrative drawings and in the detailed following description based thereon, set out aparticular embodiment of the same.

In these drawings Figure 1 is a verticallongitudinal section;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation; and

Fig. 3 is a detail section ofa breech tube.

Having more particular reference to the drawings, in connection with which like characters of reference will designate correspondlngparts throughout the several views, my improved machine gun is provided with a suitable form ofstand designated in its entirety by the numeral 1. This stand, of course, may be changed or. modified such as conditions or preference may dictate withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention here presented. A suitable bearing bracket 2 is formed inthe upper portion of thestand 1 and receives therein the adjacent end of the barrel 3 of the gun, the inner end of said barrel lying substantially flush with the adjacent side of the bracket 2 whereby close connection as between said end of the barrel and the breech mechanism, herein described, will be effected.

Supported in suitablebearings upon the intermediate portion of the stand 1 is a stub axle 4 for rotatably receiving thereon a drum or-breech disk 5, said breech disk being secured against lateral movement by thrust collars 6 or other suitable means. In this connection, it is to be noted that the breech'disk has formed thereabout a series of annularly disposed bores 7 so arranged as to permit of lon itudinal alinement thereof with the bore 0% the gun barrel 3.

' As means for retaining cartridges to be fired by the gun in proper osition with relation to the breech disk 5, may and preferably do employ an annulus 8, forming therein an annular series of spaced openings corresponding to the bores 7 and through which breech tubes 9 are passed. The inner portions of these tubes are received in the bores 7 of the breech disk 5, while the outer ends thereof are beveled as at 9 and extend from the adjacent side of the magazine annulus 8, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, said tubes being secured by suitable process to the annulus 8. Furthermore, countersunken seats or shoulders 10 are formed in each of the breech tubes 9 and, as will be understood, serve to afford seats for receiving the rimmed ends of cartridges of a. caliber corres onding to the diameter of said tubes.

pring catch arms 11 are secured to the peripheral portion of the breech disk 5 and are adapted to haveengagement with the corresponding portion of the magazine annulus in order that said annulus will be securely connected against lateral movement with-relation to the breech disk. Relative rotary movement between the breech disk Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 22 1921 5 and the magazine annulus 8 will, of course, be prevented by reason of their 1nterconnection by the breech tubes 9.

As meansfor exploding the cartridges positioned in the breech tubes 9 in rapid succession, I employ a novel form of hammer consisting of a spring arm 12 secured at one end to the bracket 2, as at 13, while the remaining portion thereof is curved downwardly and bifurcated to form a hammer proper, designated at 14, and a trip 15. This trip' 15, as will be noted, is arranged in ad- Vance of the hammer 1 1 and is bent inwardly or forwardly thereof so that it will alone have sliding bearing engagement over the inclined ends 9 of the breech tubes 9. A firing pin 16 is'carried on the free end of the hammer 14 and is of a length suflicient to compensate for the co untersunken arrangement of the explosive caps of the cartridges positioned for firing in the various breech tubes 9.

In operation of my improved machine gun, and assuming that a magazine annulus has been attached in the hereinbefore outlined manner, to the rotary breech disk 5, said disk and annulus are rotated in the clock-wise fashion, causing the trip 15 to successively ride over the extended beveled ends 9" of the breech tubes 9. hen the trip 15 is engaged with an extended beveled end of the breech tube, it will be understood that the same will be flexed outwardly, carrying therewith to its outermost position. the hammer 14 with its firing pin 16. WVith con tinued rotary movement of the magazine annulus 8, the trip 15 will be abruptly disengaged from said extended beveled end of the breech tube and will engage with and ride over that portion of the magazine annulus 8 as between the breech tube just engaged and the tube which is to be subsequently engaged. Such disengagement of the trip 15 with the extended inclined end of the breech tube will cause corresponding movement of the hammer 14, and in consequence, the firing pin 16 carried thereon will be brought abruptly into contact with the explosive cap of cartridge in this particular breech tube, imparting a sharp blow to the same which will be sufiicient to explode the cartridge and cause discharge of its projectile from the particular breech tube into and from the bore of the gun barrel 3, with which said breech tube is now in alinement. Upon continued rotation of the breech disk and magazine annulus, the firing operation of the trip and hammer will be repeated, until each of the cartridges contained by the magazine annulus has been exploded. To renew the magazine, it is only necessary to disengage the spring catch arms 11 from the exhausted magazine, whereupon a fresh magazine may, be promptly snapped into engagement with the breech disk for firing.

It is to be understood that the extended beveled ends 9 of the various breech tubes 9 are arranged in corresponding relation- 'the following tubes, thus permitting the discharge of the cartridges contained by the magazine annulus as rapidly as such magazine annulus and breech are rotated. Furthermore, the hammer 14; and trip 15 are so positioned in relation to each other as to properly time the point of disengagement of the trip 15 from an extended beveled end of the breech tube in order that immediately upon such disengagement, the firing pin 16 of the hammer 14 will be permitted to deliver a firing blow to the-explosive ca of that cartridge which is now 'alined wit the bore of the barrel 3. r

In constructing my improved machine gun I preferably employ a comparatively long barrel, for example, a barrel which is of a length approximately three times greater than the diameter of the magazine annulus employed in connection withthe gun. By this means, I am'enabled to provide a machine gun which may be fired with V the utmost accuracy, and further, which will afford a materially greater efi'ective firing ran e. 1

hfanifcstly, the construction as shown is capable, of considerable modification, and such modification as is within the scope of my claims I consider within the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A machine gun comprising in combination with a stand, a breech disk having a series of spaced circularly arranged bores therein, a magazine annulus, a plurality of breech tubes arranged in spaced relation about said annulus and received in the bores of the breech disk, the outer ends ofsaid tubes being extended from the adjacent side of the magazine annulus and formed with bearing surfaces, and firing mechanism supported by the stand with said extended ends of the tube for automatically operating the same to effect successive explosion of cartridges contained by said magazine'annulus upon rotation of the same with the breech disk.

2. A machine gun comprising in combination with a stand, a breech disk having a series of spaced bores therein, a magazine annulus detachably connected to said disk, a plurality of breech tubes arranged in spaced relation about the magazine and received in the bores of the breech disk, the outer ends of said tubes being extended from the adjacent side of the magazine and formed with bearing surfaces, a curved spring arm connected at one end to the stand, a hammer carrying a firing pin on the remaining end of the arm, and a trip on said remaining end of the arm having its engaging portion arranged in advance of and above forwardly from the hammer, adapted to successively engage and move over the extended bearing ends of the breech tubes whereby to cause firing of cartridges therein by intermittent operation of the hammer.

3. A machinegun, comprising in combination with a stand, a breech disk having a series of spaced annular bores therein, a magazine annulus detachably connected to said breech disk, a plurality of breech tubes arranged in spaced relation about the magazine annulus and received in the bores of the breech disk, a barrel supported on said stand adapted to have said tubes and bores alined therewith in sequential order, the outer ends of said tubes being extended and beveled and having counter-sunk shoulders formed therein slightly beyond the beveled ends of the same, a curved spring arm connected at one end to the stand and having its remaining end bifurcated to form a hammer and a trip, said trip being arranged in advance of and bent forwardly with relation to the hammer whereby to permit of engagement of the same in intermittent fashion with the beveled outer ends of said breech tubes and a firing pin carried by said hammer.

ANGELO O. HARPER. 

